Friday, July 2

I'll give you my hockey stick when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Hobbling into my pedicure place the other day on crutches drew some unusual glances from those cute Vietnamese ladies I told you about. I might go as far as to say that they were looks of disappointment, almost as if to say, "No wonder you are not married and having babies, look what you've done to yourself!" I've never seen such a look of incomprehension as to when I told them I broke my leg playing hockey.

It got me thinking about my two injuries. When people saw me on crutches the first time and asked what happened, I explained that I blew out my knee playing volleyball. There were mostly looks and comments of empathy and understanding. Surprisingly, many more people that I knew about have also blown their ACL doing similar activities like skiing or playing soccer. Each one told me their own knee story, and then reassured me that I'd be back playing volleyball in no time.

This time, when I tell people that I broke my leg playing hockey, the reaction is very different. I'm not sure if it's because of my gender, my age, or the sport itself, but let's just say the looks and comments from my non-hockey playing friends are not so encouraging. I even heard, "So are you going to quit now?"

Excuse me, but when did breaking my leg because a big girl fell into me while playing a physical sport constitute that I'm at the "fall and break your hip" age? So I need to sit down now, do I? Is that how you see it? I need to subscribe to Quilters Monthly, is that it?*

Well, let me assure all of you out there that I am not hanging up my skates just yet. Screw that. Shit happens. Bones break. Bones heal. I'll be back, and the doc says bones heal stronger than before. I've got one more week in this cast and then I'll be ready for my tenth hockey season this fall.

I do like Quilters Monthly! I got the same reactions -- for the first wrist I broke playing hockey. Then when I broke the other one about 16 months later they questions were even more intense and pointed. So much so that it freaked me out and I asked my doctor if I had osteoporosis (sp?). He looked at me like I must be insane...and said "no -- you just had bad luck". He also said that stopping the physical activity would be worse for my health than keeping it up.

So stay with it GKL!

PS - I did make a pact with my mom that if I break another wrist I will take up ballroom dancing.

If you want to virtually guarantee osteoporosis and consequent bone breaks, quit hockey and other sports. The impact from sports is what makes bones replenish and reinforce themselves. Learned that in nursing school. And besides, if the osteoporosis didn't get you, boredom will.

If you play hockey, its automatic that you will find it difficult to experience team bonding that comes with it elsewhere. And where else can you win a faceoff or carry the puck over the blue line and deek the goalie out of position to score. In some ways the sport fits you perfectly, given your drive to succeed and complete and have fun doing it. Carry on my daughter, cary on.

You make me want to play hockey, broken leg and all, but since i've never played hockey in my life, I'm thinkin' I'm destined for the roller derby for which I was born. I roller skated every friday night for years and always won the speed skate, and am figuring not that it's trendy what with that pregnant chick from that other movie movie, I better hurry before all the slots get filled and my osteoporosis kicks in.

WTF??? What is wrong with people??? Isn't 40 like the new 20, or something, these days??? These are probably just folks who sit on their couch and watch TV for hours when they get home. I hope to be playing hockey well into my 80's, just like this lunch time group: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/27781-80plus-hockey-players-shooting-for-Guinness-record-with-BC-tournament.html

Thanks all. You all are very supportive or else very afraid of what the blog will look like if I stop playing.

Tamma, if you break a third wrist, I'll take up ballroom dancing. ;)

Johnny, the doc looked at me weird when I asked about a bone density test. He said no need to, so thanks for the info. No wonder I have such thick bones. I've been in this kind of motion my whole life.